Jenkins: Council shows interest in energy, environment projects/grants Brainerd Dispatch

The Region Five program is fairly new. Only a small number of cities have used the program in the past, including Aitkin and Hackensack, where projects included switching streetlights to LED and improving waste management. Bjelland said they are working on a second round of city grants and have nine cities on board to apply. They are looking for one more.

Participating cities would be qualified to receive $10,000 in funds to improve the city’s environment or efficiency. The program uses USDA grant money, combined with Sourcewell grant money (to pay for what would normally be the city’s share of the 1:1 grant), to complete these projects.

Mayor Jon Lubke asked what types of things the money cannot be used for. Bjelland said it couldn’t be used to buy fire department equipment or similar expenses not related to the environment or efficiency. She confirmed that it could potentially be used for adding solar LED lights to the city sign. The only cost of the project for the city, ultimately, is any wages spent on city employees, if they provided work on the project.

Council member Charles Hoffman requested that the city take time to consider the program before agreeing to participate. Bjelland said the city does not need to know what it would want to spend the funds on ahead of application; however, Hoffman said given the one year time limit on using the grant funds, he would feel better if the city had some ideas before applying so the council and staff wouldn’t have to rush later.

Clerk Krista Okerman pointed out one drawback for participating. Because Sourcewell would provide $5,000 toward the fund, the city could not apply for that Sourcewell grant (which here serves to pay for the city’s matching contribution) for a year. The city had previously discussed applying for the Sourcewell grant to provide Americans with Disabilities Act compliant equipment at the park.

The council did not commit to the project, but did agree to discuss it ahead of its second February meeting, at which time it will either approve participation or not. Applications are due in March, so a decision must be reached soon.

Small Cities Program

The council held a public hearing on the Small Cities Development Program. The council has been discussing the program for several months and has stayed in the running for the program despite other cities being eliminated. The program provides funding to commercial retail and residential properties for rehabilitation of buildings.

Funding is provided as a “loan” that is forgiven if the property owner does not sell over the course of 10 years. A portion of the loan is forgiven every year, 10% at a time, over the course of that 10 years until it is completely forgiven. An owner who sells before the end of the loan term must pay back the remaining balance.

Residential properties that participate in the program do not need to provide matching funds, but commercial properties must provide 20% of the cost of the project while the loan pays for the remaining 80%.

If the city is awarded the funds, all residences within the city qualify for the rehab loans and can use them for necessary improvements to homes, including new windows, roofing and repairs that improve the safety of the home. Commercial properties would qualify for similar projects; however, only commercial properties within a declared “slum and blight” district would qualify.

Several council members were hesitant to declare a slum and blight district within the city; however, it was discovered that:

  • Record of the declaration only exists in the SCDP application and in the city’s records pertaining to the application for the program. The declaration is not noted on any property records, and where these declarations have been made in the past there has not been any known effect on property values or taxes.
  • The declaration is largely symbolic and is just a legal definition of the area which needs improvement strictly for the application to the program.
  • It is not permanent. The declaration can be undone after the program has been completed.

Residents attending the public meeting seemed to be satisfied with answers they received, and one resident thanked the council for seeking funding that the city residents could use to improve their homes and businesses.

The slum and blight district was ultimately identified as a section along Highway 371. John Schommer, who was presenting on the program on behalf of the Brainerd Housing and Redevelopment Authority, said that was the chosen district because businesses from that area showed the most interest, and other businesses from that area were identified as possibly benefitting the most from the program.

For example, while those businesses may benefit from having an older, more rustic appearance (some of them sell antiques and used items) they could likely still benefit from roof repairs and perhaps more energy efficient windows.

The council agreed to declare the slum and blight district. It also approved application to the program, reviewed a conflict of interest disclosure form and determined that there are currently no known conflicts of interest among board members (such as a board member who knowingly would benefit from approval of the program by planning to participate in it).

Blue Hill solar moratorium vote set for Feb. 17 The Weekly Packet

Advocates of a proposed 180-day moratorium on commercial solar projects say the move is needed to allow the Blue Hill Planning Board time to either amend the town’s existing commercial site plan review ordinance to address commercial solar projects or to draft a separate commercial solar ordinance. A special referendum vote on the proposed moratorium is set for Wednesday, February 17, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the George Stevens Academy gym.

Late last fall, Blue Hill Solar LLC and Borrego Solar submitted a commercial site plan review application to the planning board for the development of a 19.7-acre commercial solar farm on a 50.76 acre wooded lot on York Road in East Blue Hill owned by the Dethier family. During the November meeting, the board found that the application was incomplete and instructed the developers to resubmit an updated application.

During a November 30 special planning board meeting, members voted to recommend that the select board draft and adopt the moratorium because at the time there were rumors that a number of commercial solar-farm developers were considering projects in Blue Hill.

If passed by voters, the moratorium would “govern and apply to all proceedings and applications for a Commercial Solar Facility that were or are pending before the Code Enforcement Officer or the Planning Board on or any time after December 17, 2020,” which would delay any formal planning board ruling on the Blue Hill Solar LLC York Road project.

The draft moratorium ordinance states the town’s ordinances “are insufficient to prevent serious public harm that could result from the siting, installation, and operation of Commercial Solar Facilities within the Town ” [and] “raises legitimate and substantial questions about the impact of such facilities on the Town, including questions as to compatibility of such facilities with existing and permitted land uses in the Town; potential adverse environmental effects; and the lack of plans and other financial assurances that such facilities will be properly constructed and decommissioned .”

During the February 8 meeting of the planning board, members discussed whether the Versant substation, which serves Blue Hill, has sufficient transmission capacity to handle large-scale commercial solar power generating installations. In August 2020, Versant Power replaced its 50-year-old substation located at the bottom of Greene’s Hill with a new facility near Turkey Farm Road.

“Our brand new substation transformer is built to handle up to 5.5MW of power flowing out to customers,” Mary Alice Hurvitt, chair of the planning board, stated in a letter to The Weekly Packet. “This also represents the limit of the power that we can feed back into the substation. One 20-30 acre solar farm could generate as much as 5.5MW. What we have learned is that once our threshold is reached, no other inputs can be added without further upgrades to our substation. Meaning, if we use up all our capacity, we as individuals may no longer be able to put solar panels on our houses or install panels for our businesses.”

Source: https://weeklypacket.com/news/2021/feb/12/blue-hill-solar-moratorium-vote-set-for-feb/

Solar and environmental justice orgs team up for new million solar homes campaign

Today, a national coalition of more than 220 organizations launched the 30 Million Solar Homes campaign. The campaign’s goal is to add enough rooftop and community solar energy to power 30 million homes across the U.S. within the next five years. This would provide solar’s benefits to 1 in 4 American households. The coalition estimates the 30 Million Solar Homes plan will create three million good-paying jobs. It would lower energy bills by at least $20 billion a year. And, it would cut total annual greenhouse gas emissions by 1.5%.

The coalition released a list of federal policy recommendations to achieve the 30 million solar homes goal. A majority of investment in the plan is reserved for marginalized communities. More than 220 energy equity, climate, business, environmental, faith and public health organizations signed a letter to Congress urging the adoption of the 30 Million Solar Homes Plan.

The signers include the Sierra Club, Sunrise Movement, League of Conservation Voters, Public Citizen, Appalachian Voices, Partnership for Southern Equity, NAACP CO-MT-WY State Conference, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Dream Corps Green For All, the Union of Concerned Scientists, Solar Energy Industries Association, Nizhoni Ani, Climate Justice Alliance, Coalition for Community Solar Access, Corazón Latino, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Evangelical Environmental Network, Local Solar for All, Generation 180, GRID Alternatives, Interfaith Power & Light, and businesses including Sunrun, SunPower and Sunnova.

The complete list of signatories can be found here.

“30 Million Solar Homes is a smart, attainable policy goal that will save families money and create millions of good jobs,” said Anya Schoolman, Solar United Neighbors executive director. “Now is the time for the federal government to act.”

Solar United Neighbors, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and the Initiative for Energy Justice are leading the 30 Million Solar Homes campaign.

“Cutting carbon emissions is vital and also not enough on its own,” said Subin DeVar, Initiative for Energy Justice co-founder. “We need to build an equitable energy system. This means giving individuals the power to control where their electricity comes from and to tap into the wealth, health, good jobs, and other benefits of a regenerative economy.”

“Communities that have faced the most harm from the utility-run energy system deserve to benefit from a new one,” said John Farrell, Institute for Local Self-Reliance co-director “30 Million Solar homes will let folks choose a better future; rural communities, urban communities, and communities of color.”

The centerpiece of 30 Million Solar Homes is to rapidly and massively scale programs that help low-income families benefit from solar. The federal government spends billions of dollars every year to help families pay their energy costs. Still, this only serves less than a fifth of the eligible population. Funding rooftop and community solar access for these households would provide long-term financial relief and reduce the need for annual energy bill assistance.

“We have the opportunity to right historical wrongs in our energy system as we rebuild our economy,” said Sunrun co-founder and CEO Lynn Jurich. “Local solar and batteries can create more local jobs nationwide. Let’s put people at the center of our energy future with affordable, reliable, and clean electricity.”

“The promise of distributed energy — the ability to produce solar power and store it at your home, business or in your community — is expansive. So are the benefits, which include electricity bill savings and installation jobs that cannot be exported,” said Suzanne Leta, head of policy and strategy at SunPower. “The Biden/Harris administration and Congress can take quick action that will turn this promise into a reality, spurring greater access to the benefits for customers and job seekers most in need.”

Johnson Controls presents energy solutions for Patchogue Village Long Island Advance

Earlier this week, the village board accepted a contract with Johnson Controls energy audit with an agreement for a dollar-neutral energy savings project at no cost to the taxpayer with even- tual cost savings.

Ultimately, a loan will be taken out and paid from energy savings as an escrow account of sorts, with upgrades including solar panels adding energy efficiency to the village, which typically pays close to half a million dollars to PSEG each year.

Christopher Fitzsimmons presented the findings and details of the project to the board on Monday’s Feb. 8 meeting.

The construction period on the project, he said, would take approximately 18 months and a bill on it would essentially not be due until completion.

THE PROJECT

The report included the potential of seven village-owned facilities in need of essential infrastructure upgrades, village-wide LED street lighting implementation, cost-reducing HVAC upgrades, village renewable energy ini- tiatives and major climate action and global stewardship.

The goals of the project, Fitzsimmons said, are to overall improve the safety, security and comfort of environments, reduce utility and operational costs, address deferred maintenance costs, leverage utility incentives and rebates, modernize system and define and sup- port renewable energy.

WISH LIST

Wish list items include: roof and HVAC replacement at the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts as well as air quality control; duct sealing and electric vehicle charging stations; roof reinforcement and rooftop solar panels at the pool beach club; oil to gas conversion; new gas boilers and record room dehumidifier at Village Hall; and additional electric vehicle charging stations at 380 Bay, Parks and Recreation.

SOLAR CARPORT AT THEATRE

A solar carport in the Patchogue Theatre parking lot has also been proposed with an array size equal to 259.2KW, averaging an annual revenue stream of $32,000. The project will also provide shade and shelter for patrons and residents with canopy lighting included.

PROJECT METRICS

The annual lease cost is about $327,000 per year with about $187,843 in energy savings. Once paid off, the units would be owned by the village and are expected to last well over 30 years.

The total project comes at an approximate $5.2 million cost, with projected savings of $8.2 mil- lion over 25 years. The project would be funded by an escrow account loan at a net-zero cost to the taxpayer with a 2.2 percent interest rate.

Village Business Improvement District executive director Dennis Smith was thanked for spearheading the project on the village side and trustee Joe Keyes for opening up the village to the possibilities through his PEP committee.

Should their cost-savings projections fall short, Keyes emphasized, the company will write a check for the difference and also figure out what is wrong.

The project report costs the village approximately $55,000, which will be included in the total cost, with Johnson performing all upgrades. The village signed the project development agreement in October. Johnson Controls International is a global company that specializes in building service and energy solutions.

“It’s a single, one-stop shop,” said mayor Paul Pontieri, pleased with the project. “This is for the young families and for the future of the village.”

“It’s a project that will be paying dividends for decades to come,” added Smith. “It will zero out electric bills on buildings with solar panels and pay dividends to the environment as well.”

Next steps include reviewing the contract over the next week or so, closing on a loan by the end of the month and proceeding into March. Project implementation is expected by the spring and summer of this year.

Source: https://www.longislandadvance.net/stories/johnson-controls-presents-energy-solutions-for-patchogue-village,87503

Solar Panel Costs Suspended in Sydney ֠Do not Pay Too A lot for a Solar System

Trying to figure out how much to pay for a Sydney solar system with high quality solar panels can be a minefield.

Many solar panels advertised online and in the Sunday newspapers are too cheap – they use extremely cheap solar panels and inverters, and often don’t come with full warranty support, while other deals can be overpriced by thousands of dollars simply because people don’t. I don’t know what to pay for. Unfortunately, many solar installers believe that confusion = profit, and thus finding the right price for a high quality solar system can be difficult.

The first thing most people do when they are interested in solar energy is to find out how much solar energy costs. Here are some typical ads you might see in your search results:

If you are new to solar power, your first online search can assume that a high quality 5 kW solar system will cost anywhere from $ 3,000 to $ 4,000. Words such as “Premium” and “Tier 1” are used in the ads.

It all sounds great unless it isn’t. It’s way too cheap for a good quality solar system.

Don’t be struck by cheap solar

If you received 3 quotes from renowned Sydney solar installers you would find that our prices are all within a few hundred dollars of each other. Yes, there may be slight differences, but for the most part, the deals are roughly the same price. To put it simply, you won’t find a $ 6,000 system on sale for $ 4,000, even if you’re glad the plumber made a few sacrifices.

It is now possible to get one top quality Solar system in Sydney pays for itself in 3 to 5 years!

Good quality solar panels have become so cheap that it no longer makes sense to look at the lower end of the solar market. You can get the best solar panels from the world’s leading manufacturers, online monitoring, professional installation, full technical support and still get a return on your money in 3-5 years. Cheap solar is dead.

The Right Price – Prices on Sydney Solar Power Systems

At Solaray, we are doing things a little differently to help you cut out the confusion. We believe you should have all of the information you need to make an informed decision, including pricing.

For a high quality 5kW solar system, the average Sydney solar price starts at $ 5,500, fully installed. This 18-panel system provides approximately 20 kWh per day and saves you up to $ 2000 in electricity bills every year.

And here is the pricing for solar energy in Sydney:

https://solartimes.org/solar-panel-costs-suspended-in-sydney-do-not-pay-too-a-lot-for-a-solar-system/

A sophisticated measure of utility-scale site viability

When considering the viability of a utility-scale tracker or fixed-tilt project site, there are many factors that inform site selection. But until now, it’s been difficult to quickly determine, with precision, exactly how much of the land is “rackable.” In other words, there hasn’t been a means to compute the percentage of total land area on which trackers can actually be installed.

Utility-scale project developers can now take advantage of an important new early-stage site assessment tool to achieve a reliable rackability measure. Today’s most sophisticated utility-scale solar design software is able to compute a site’s rackability with only three basic project inputs, including:

Site plan obstructions

First, identify those areas on which, irrespective of terrain, racking isn’t desired or can’t be installed, including building footprints, treelines, roads and unsuitable land such as a marsh or wetland. Using utility-scale solar design software, it is possible to draw obstructed areas within the site boundary to be subtracted from the total site area. Traditionally, the only way to account for the impact of obstructions on usable site area has been to eyeball physical obstructions and approximate them in a layout. Now, software can compute an accurate quantitative measure before any layout is created.

Slope thresholds — East/West and North/South

Advanced solar software takes into account priorities related to both East/West and North/South slope thresholds when computing rackable area. Understanding where a site requires no grading or other alterations to accommodate racking is vital to assessing project costs and site capacity upfront.

Slope threshold choices can support project goals. When trying to maximize system size, E/W slope thresholds may be higher in order to fit more modules. For systems that prioritize system production, designers may choose to limit the E/W slope threshold to ensure there is no excessive row-on-row shading.

Additionally, the preferred tracker or fixed tilt model may have a max slope limitation that impacts the viability of tracker placement. For instance, longer trackers may have a lower N/S slope threshold. In this instance, project developers may not want to install any trackers on land that has a max slope greater than, for example, 15° in any cardinal direction to avoid grading costs. Terrain with a slope that is greater than the max specified would be marked as a keep out area and subtracted from the total rackable area.

Minimum contiguous area

The final rackability input is a measure of the minimum contiguous area required to meet the project goals. In other words, what matters most is not the total site square footage, but rather the number of square feet required to fit a tracker or partial tracker. Minimum contiguous area indicates the minimum amount of unbroken space that must be within all other site thresholds to be rackable area.

As with slope tolerances above, project goals matter. If system size is the driver, placing partial trackers wherever space permits is desirable. In that case, the minimum contiguous area would be smaller. Alternatively, developers may want to minimize equipment costs, and therefore avoid placing any trackers unless space permits to install a full block of trackers. In that case, the minimum contiguous area would be larger.

With these three inputs, sophisticated utility-scale solar software takes the computation of rackable area from a best guess to a tangible number, and delivers a measure of early-stage project viability to inform site selection before investing valuable design time for large scale solar projects.

HES Solar Clinches 2020 SunPower National Commercial Dealer of the Year Award ֠Press Release Digital Journal

Across the U.S., HES Solar was recognized for outstanding performance as a SunPower dealer

Feb. 9, 2021 / PRZen / SAN DIEGO — HES Solar was announced as the 2020 SunPower National Dealer of the Year for Commercial Solar. The San Diego-based commercial and residential solar installer was honored to receive the award and designation shortly after receiving its fourth consecutive Regional Top Producer – Commercial award during the 2021 SunPower Virtual Dealer Conference.

The coveted SunPower Dealer of the Year acknowledgement honors SunPower dealers that consistently put customers first, while demonstrating exceptional industry knowledge and leadership.

HES Solar has been a SunPower dealer since 2007 and has installed over 17 million watts of solar in Southern California since 2001. The company’s success reflects its territory expansion north and east from San Diego County to include communities out to Temecula and north up the coast into Orange and Los Angeles Counties in cities such as Porter Ranch, Anaheim and Irvine.

The award comes as HES is positioned for several more impressive announcements in the near future that reflect the company’s strong recovery after an industry-wide second quarter drop due to the pandemic and resulting lockdowns. Surging beyond recovery, in fact, the Southern California company posted its best-ever fourth quarter for residential sales and finished the year with overall growth compared to 2019. Upcoming company announcements in the first and second quarter of 2021 will focus on more impressive company news, an improved digital presence, and more exciting changes that include the implementation of a new business division.

“This is phenomenal news,” says Ross Williams, HES Solar CEO. “I couldn’t be more proud of the team we have in the commercial business and the efforts they put forth in 2020. I think that to win the most coveted title that SunPower awards is unprecedented and to do it during a pandemic just speaks volumes of the character and leadership of the team. Partnering with SunPower, one of the world’s most innovative and sustainable energy companies, stands among the top decisions we have ever made. I am very excited and optimistic for what 2021 has in store for the solar industry and for the businesses and homes that enjoy the benefits solar provides.”

“A strong network of dealers is integral to our business — they excel at their craft, are deeply ingrained in their local markets and represent the SunPower brand with incredible expertise and service,” said Norm Taffe, Executive Vice President at SunPower. “We congratulate dealers who have gone above and beyond and look forward to their continued success helping more homeowners realize the rewarding benefits of solar.”

“This was surprising and not surprising to learn we’d won the exclusive SunPower National Dealer of the Year Award,” says Wenjie Chen, who was promoted to Director of Commercial for HES Solar earlier this year. “With the completion of our long span garage top solar project up in north county to a trifecta of rooftop/carport/battery project down south near the border last year and current projects scheduled north of Los Angeles and in Imperial County, it was clear HES was in a strong position in the market and rapidly expanding, but of course it’s always a boost to know we are leading the charge.”

HES Solar continues to expand installations and service throughout Southern California through both its commercial and residential solar and solar plus storage divisions. Business owners and homeowners interested in the financial benefits as well as the environmental benefits of clean energy production can learn more at the company’s website https://www.hessolar.com/.

About HES Solar

HES Solar, formerly known as Home Energy Systems, is a local, family-owned and operated, full-service solar company established in San Diego in 2001. The innovative company uses the best quality solar equipment by SunPower to create residential and commercial energy systems that are optimized for durability and performance. HES is also a Tesla Powerwall and Megapack certified installer as well as an EV charging station installer. HES is committed to customer satisfaction from Chula Vista to Poway to Murrieta and provides top-tier support as more clients gain energy independence through renewable, money-saving alternatives to utility power.

Mike Cannon-BrookesҠsolar, battery flop ֠The Australian Financial Review

The whole production was tacitly political, of course, touting the healing power of battery and solar power over the sinful filth emitted by regional Australia’s prevalent emergency diesel generators – a cheap and easy dawn raid in the energy policy wars, in which MCB is a self-styled general.

“We were having to go up every couple of days and refuel generators and support that operation continuously,” firefighter Marty Webster told Seven. “But once we can get an alternative in place like a solar installation, that’s fantastic because that takes the pressure off us to keep resupplying those sort of sites.”

“The whole thing started 3½ weeks ago, and we already have multiple sites live and the goal of being able to put 100 sites live in 100 days is pretty impactful,” MCB humbly submitted.

“So to be able to put one’s resources in and then see actual, physical goods appear it’s pretty motivating”.

Eleven months later, a cynical person might conclude that Cannon-Brookes’ foremost motivation was headlines, given most of the actual, physical goods never appeared.

To date, the Resilient Energy Collective has installed a grand total of six power units – only four more sites than were already live back when MCB was commending his own impactfulness. Forget 100 in 100 days, it’s six in 11½ months.

A more innocent explanation than guile is naivety. While Cannon-Brookes was telling the Sydney Morning Herald that “this is not a for-profit exercise for us there’s a movement of speed here that’s really, really important”, the local utilities were rebuilding their network infrastructure in five seconds flat, rendering MCB’s Musketeer kits superfluous.

Their survival depended on it. Did the billionaire really expect energy companies to help him permanently take its users off-grid?

In the words of Charlie Munger, “show me the incentive and I’ll show you the outcome”.

Or as Musk himself said (though clearly not to Mike and Annie), “You shouldn’t do things differently just because they’re different. They need to be better.”

The Resilient Energy Collective stands ready, with 94 rigs at hand, for the 2022 bushfire season

Source: https://www.afr.com/rear-window/mike-cannon-brookes-solar-battery-flop-20210208-p570le

Olivia Campbell Andersen: Why We Want Local weather Resolutions in 2021 ֠Bennington Banner

Typically, the New Year is an opportunity for reflection and resolutions for healthier and happier lives. In times of COVID and a deep economic recession, resolutions can look different. Add in the climate crisis and it can feel overwhelming. The current triple crisis has exposed the need to reassess existing systems and build the resilient, just communities we want for our future. In some ways, dealing with the health, climate, and economic crisis is similar to New Year’s resolutions – both depend on belief in the future and a fundamental belief in our ability to change and improve. This year, I hope that you will join me and many others in a New Years resolution that will create a healthier climate for our families, our community, and ourselves.

Making this kind of individual choice can be empowering. Personal climate resolution can reduce feelings of overwhelm and fear of the future. Sharing your climate resolution encourages friends, family, and colleagues to consider their climate decisions as well. Perhaps a small personal change has the power to remind us each day of the climate-focused work that we also need our elected leaders to do.

We know what happens when we do nothing. We are experiencing more frequent and violent storms that translate into property damage, power outages, and missed economic opportunities. The rate of tick-borne disease in Vermont is among the highest in the nation. The hazy skies over our beloved Green Mountains, caused by forest fires in the west and dried up wells due to extended drought last summer, brought home the reality that climate change disasters are not decades away and Vermont is not immune. Climate change is here now, earlier than expected, and we need to act urgently and measurably. Fortunately, solutions already exist when it comes to reducing climate pollution and boosting our local economy.

Last year, with the passing of the Global Warming Solutions Act, legislators again deliberately advocated reducing climate pollution. In the spirit of building a resilient future, here are some climate change decisions our elected officials should make to meet Vermont’s climate commitments, reduce our energy footprint, and usher in a clean energy future.

While tackling the coronavirus health crisis and the resulting recession are immediate priorities, tackling climate change is not a distraction from it. Indeed, climate protection offers a way forward. The governor’s recent budget proposal to help more Vermonters in low- and middle-income households, weather houses, buy electric vehicles, and cut energy bills with local solar power is a good start as it is recognized that we better demolish now and one Can catalyze climate recovery. We can’t lose another year on climate change progress as Vermont is already falling short of its commitments.

Similar to a leaky roof, the longer you wait for the repair, the worse and more expensive the problem becomes. The climate clock now stands at less than seven years, which means we need to be emission-free in that short amount of time to keep the planet warming below the conservative United Nations’ IPPC-recommended threshold. I urge you, along with Renewable Energy Vermont and dozens of other nonprofits and local businesses, to urge our elected officials to implement their climate change resolutions in 2021.

BIPV solar projects have multiple options for rapid shutdown compliance

The module-level PV rapid shutdown compliance option in the 2017 National Electrical Code was a major shift from previous string-level rapid shutdown requirements. But module-level shutdown is just one of three ways a solar project can comply with current rapid shutdown requirements in the widely adopted 2017 code. A new 2020 code is beginning to be adopted by some states, but the rapid shutdown compliance options remain largely the same — get the voltage both outside and inside the solar array down quickly.

The three choices for compliance should be welcome news for building-integrated PV manufacturers, some of which have been wondering how to cost-effectively perform module-level shutdown of smaller solar shingles or tiles.

“The code offers those three options as ways to say there’s different installation practices that can be used depending upon the particular rooftop PV installation,” said Ken Boyce, senior director of principal engineering for industrial at UL.

First: An important note. There are two separate requirements in NEC section 690.12 for rapid shutdown. One is for outside the array, where the conductors enter the building, and two is for inside the array boundary. Outside the array boundary, conductors are limited to 30 V within 30 seconds of rapid shutdown initiation. Some rapid shutdown approaches can satisfy both requirements by bringing the voltage both outside and inside the array down to less than 30 V in 30 seconds, Boyce said.

This second category — inside the array boundary and its three rapid shutdown options — is the main focus of this article.

Under the “inside the array boundary” code requirements, there are two compliance options that are somewhat tailored to BIPV solutions like Tesla’s Solar Roof tiles or Luma’s Solar Roof shingles.

The first and probably simplest way for a BIPV system to comply with the code has to do with the materials used in the product. NEC 690.12(B)(2)(3) says projects can satisfy rapid shutdown for controlled conductors inside the array boundary if there are no exposed wires or conductive parts in the array. CertainTeed says it can use this compliance option with its Apollo II line of BIPV shingles, which has no exposed conductive parts.

“The flashing is all polymeric as is the Apollo frame, so we have no exposed metal,” said Mark Stancroff, CertainTeed solar director.

But this compliance option would not apply to products like Luma Solar’s shingles, which are made of conductive sheet metal.

For those metal BIPV offerings, 690.12(B)(2)(1) would likely be the simplest compliance option. This option is for projects to be listed or field-labeled as a PV rapid shutdown array — meaning the entire system, from modules to inverter, has been tested as a unit and proven to perform rapid shutdown. UL has created certifications for rapid shutdown PV arrays to prove just that. The newly published requirements in standard UL 3741 outline additional compliance options for accomplishing this.

Tesla’s Solar Roof tiles.

For vertical-market manufacturers like Tesla that make every component in a system from the Solar Roof tiles to the inverter, system-level certification might be simple. But a full PV array rapid shutdown listing might not make sense for all manufacturers, since the solar industry is constantly churning out new versions of products. Acquiring system certification for every single combination could be cumbersome.

Still, if BIPV manufacturers want a somewhat simple way to breeze through rapid shutdown approval by AHJs, they could choose a limited combination of different components to use in projects and have them tested and listed as “PV rapid shutdown arrays.”

Projects that won’t fit under those two easiest shutdown options for BIPV for whatever reason can still opt for module-level shutdown of BIPV modules, even though “it certainly seems like it would not be the easiest way to comply,” Boyce said. Module-level shutdown is implied in the third compliance option 690.12(B)(2)(2), which requires controlled conductors within the array boundary to limit power to 80 V within 30 seconds of rapid shutdown initiation.

The module-level requirement is straightforward when the modules in discussion are standard 65- by 39-in. solar panels. Clip or stick a rapid shutdown device on the back of each standard panel, connect the wiring and it’s compliant.

But achieving module-level compliance with BIPV offerings, which are much smaller products, isn’t as straightforward.

BIPV modules are almost always paired with string inverters rather than microinverters. Along with the sheer number of shingles or tiles per roof (around 125 shingles for a 10-kW Luma Solar roof), any device that’s tucked underneath must be able to withstand high temperatures.

“It’s like a solar thermal oven underneath the solar shingle. That’s the dilemma when you’re looking at a module-level rapid shutdown device or a rapid shutdown device that would be under 80 V within 30 seconds inside the array,” said Jeff Spies, president of solar design firm Planet Plan Sets.

IMO Automation’s solid-state rapid shutdown device.

Some technologies could potentially work for that tough environment, like IMO Automation’s FireRaptor rapid shutdown device, according to Spies. The FireRaptor is a solid-state switching device with no mechanical parts, making it better equipped to handle high heat conditions. IMO Automation’s general manager Joe Covington said the company has had a few conversations with manufacturers of BIPV modules, but at this time are not pursuing any specific products for this market.

Luma Solar has been looking at using module-level rapid shutdown for its solar shingle systems using APsystems’ or Generac’s rapid shutdown devices. Robert Allen, president of Luma Solar, isn’t concerned with much additional work on the jobsite since these devices are basically plug-and-play, but he acknowledges it will add an extra expense to the bill of materials.

“It’s just going to add costs, not only to our system, but others too,” Allen said. “But not anything that we can’t bear, because our product is a luxury product to begin with, so we don’t sell it on per-watt price points.”

At this time, AHJs across the country are still working on adopting and learning the 2017 code, so manufacturers likely have some time to determine the compliance options that work best for their products. Still, if BIPV options are to grow out of a niche market, manufacturers will need to find easy ways to get their systems up to code to ensure quick inspections and commissions.